Payback
by I.Dream.Of.Hardyz
Summary: When Elliot is kidnapped, Olivia must fight to save him before his life is taken as well. But someone is fixed on payback and is determined to hurt Benson in anyway possible. Can she save her partner before it is too late? Slight mentions of E/O romance.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Law and Order: SVU. I just want to write stuff about the show.

**Author's Note:** Hello! This is my first SVU story ever. I usually write wrestling fanfiction, but I've been wanting to venture into SVU for a long, long time now. I've been working on the idea for the story for a while as well and I finally got what I wanted to put into the first chapter ready. It seems that many of the SVU episodes always feature someone trying to take Benson from Stabler, and rarely the other way around. I'm not saying that it hasn't happened the other way, but in most cases, you know? So, I figured I would write this. It's post Season 10... hmmm, what else to say? I don't know cop lingo as well as I probably should (considering I watch SVU any chance I get) so work with me. I'm writing best I can. And yeah... so that's pretty much it. The first chapter starts the story and I think some of you might just figure out who the person is by the end of it, if not, whatever. The person will be revealed within the next few chapters. So, yep. Please review (I love reading reviews). Enjoy!

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Olivia Benson yawned as she grabbed her coffee off the Starbucks counter, throwing a quarter into the tip cup while she turned and walked toward the door. Normally, she wouldn't pay the two fifty for the manufactured drink and instead made her own cup at home, but she oddly had a craving for overpriced coffee that day.

The cold air whipped at her face when she opened the door, leaving the aroma of coffee grinds behind and the scent of New York City in its place. She shook her head at a bum sleeping near the door, his filthy hand clasping what seemed to be an empty bottle of Vodka. People looked down distastefully at the man as they walked by, but she only found pity. It could only take a few months to get that man a home and clean from what was probably an addiction to alcohol.

Benson flipped open her cell phone, checking the time. It was almost eight thirty, which meant she was already a half hour late getting to the station. She had called Cragen an hour before and alerted him that she overslept (probably the reason she felt the need for overpriced coffee that day). In her head, she imagined the workload and paperwork awaiting her at the large building. While most of their cases had cleared up in the past month, there was still a heavy amount of desk work that needed to be done. The only relief she found in that would be that the New York streets were just a little safer because of her.

In a few minutes time and driving, she pulled up in front of the station house and killed the engine to her car. She tossed her keys into her pocket and took a look at herself in the car mirror. Her make up was a little runny, probably because she rushed through it that morning, and her hair was a little flat – a problem she found a little too often.

"Oh well," she muttered, taking a sip of the hot coffee and opening the Special Victims Unit door. There was only a few seconds of silence before she was met with the daily chaos of her job. Scattered around the upper office, some civilians were telling police reports to other cops while Fin and Munch were sipping their own coffee and chatting by one of the windows.

Munch looked up when Olivia dropped her bag near the foot of her desk. His strange expression puzzled her. "What?" she demanded. "I know I don't look my best, but do I look that bad?"

He shook his head. "You look fine," he said, rolling his eyes at Fin. "Where's Stabler?"

"I don't know," she answered. "Where's Stabler?"

Fin explained, "He said he was getting a ride to work with you. I found it pretty strange that you were both late this morning."

"Elliot didn't get a ride with me," she countered. "I haven't spoken to him since last night when I left. When did he say this?"

"Like an hour ago," Munch spoke. "Did you check your phone? Damn technology probably didn't tell you that he called."

"I checked my phone," Olivia muttered. She pressed her brain for a conversation where she said she would be picking up Elliot for work that day. What happened to his car? She asked that question.

The two partners shrugged.

"Let me call him," she muttered with a roll of her eyes. "I don't know what the hell happened, but he never told me to pick him up." Quickly, she pulled out her cell and hit the speed dial button number four. It rang several times and then went straight to voicemail. Slowly, she closed her phone. "Voicemail… that's odd."

At that moment, Cragen came into the room, wearing an expression of annoyance, seeing his detectives not at work. "What's going on?"

"Stabler isn't here."

"Well, where is he?" Don asked, folding his arms. "He's nearly an hour late."

The detectives filled their Captain in on what had happened over the last ten minutes or so. He seemed confused as Olivia did when the story was over. Cragen sighed. "Liv, go check up on him. Maybe he's got a flat tire or something. Just try to be back soon, okay? You've got enough paperwork to sink the Titanic!"

About a half hour later, Benson pulled up in front of Elliot's house and saw his work car still parked in the driveway. She once more shut off her own car and closed the door. She made her way up the long driveway, noticing that Kathy's car was also still in the driveway. Then, with a frown, she walked up to the steps and saw that the door was open. Before she could control herself, she gasped and feared the worst.

Quietly, she opened the door a little and pulled out her gun, stepping inside. An awful feeling of dread came over her as she stepped inside and closed the door, finding the living room empty. Inching forward, she saw something that nearly made her heart drop in her chest. There seemed to be what could be considered a blood trail leading toward the kitchen.

The normally bright and airy kitchen taunted her darkly as she inched forward, checking the house as she went, her hand firmly on her gun. As she came into the kitchen, once more she had to swallow a gasp. On the floor was Kathy, her head covered in blood.

"Kathy," she choked out, dropping to the floor. She pulled out her cell phone and called 911. "Yes, I'm Detective Olivia Benson from Manhattan SVU and I've got a cop's wife down. I need a bus." She quickly gave the address and felt for a pulse on Kathy's neck. It was surprisingly strong.

She changed her footing and got up, looking around the house. She didn't want to leave Kathy but she wasn't sure if Elliot's kids were still in the house or instead in school and safe. Olivia got to her feet and pulled the gun closer to her, searching the dining room quickly and then made her way up the stairs. In only a few minutes she deemed the house safe and went back down to Kathy.

"Wake up," she muttered, seeing that Kathy looked as if she was hit with a blunt object, even though a weapon wasn't in sight. "Come on, Kathy, wake up…"

"Hmmm, what?" Kathy's eyes flickered but it was obvious to Detective Benson that she was not really awake. Before she could reply to her however, the paramedics arrived, as did her own squad, which she had called shortly after calling for help.

"Where's Stabler?" Munch boomed, coming into the house with Fin.

"Elliot," Olivia whispered, almost forgetting. "Elliot, oh God… where is Elliot?"

Fin was quick to comfort the scared detective. "Try to relax. Munch called the schools on the way here. All their kids are safe and Eli is at the sitters already. I'm sure Elliot is fine."

"Where is he though?" Benson muttered. "Kathy was assaulted and he's no where to be found."

"Do you think he did it?" Munch wondered.

"Stabler's a head case," Fin said, showing the tension that was still sometimes displayed by the two, "But he wouldn't do something like this and we all know it."

There was a brief silence before Munch called out, "Hey, Liv, I got something! Come look at this."

She wandered over to where Munch was, hovered over the Stabler computer. On the screen was an open document and in bright, red letters was the following:

_Dear Liv,_

_Careful who you cross. See what happened to Kathy? Well, if you don't play your cards right, Elliot will end up much, much worse. And we all know you don't want to see that, do you? So here is the game. You have 24 hours to find Elliot, or I'll kill him. You get one phone call for help. Let's hope you find this message before noon, or else the call is off the table. Good luck, Liv. I'll be watching._

_Payback's a Bitch_

"Liv, look."

"What?" Her entire body was shaking. Someone took Elliot… someone was possibly hurting Elliot.

She turned her gaze to what Munch was staring at: Elliot's cell phone. It was vibrating. She grabbed it with her gloved hand and stared at it for a moment. If Elliot was in danger, she would not waste her one phone call. Munch nodded at her and whispered, "Answer."

"Hello?"

"Why hello, Liv."

"Who is this?" The voice was disguised with some kind of voice box.

"That's not important, Liv."

"Let me talk to Elliot," she growled. "Now."

"Relax, Liv. First you listen, you hear?"

Olivia looked at the team searching Elliot's home. One was setting up to trace the call she was receiving. She knew she had to keep this person on the line for at least five minutes so the machine could calibrate and then find the person calling.

Liv swallowed, "I'm listening."

"Payback is a bitch, isn't it, Liv? You think you can prance around as an almighty cop and never get away with anything. You know you do. We all know it. But what happens when you're suddenly no longer in control. It's time you find out. You've already got enough clues to last you. This is all you get."

The person trying to trace the call glared at her, as if to say "keep them on the line".

"Wait," she said. "I want to speak to Elliot."

"Elliot?" the person chuckled. "Oh. Yeah, him. Well, let's just say, he's a little busy right now." There was silence then a loud, muffled scream.

"ELLIOT!" Benson screamed, her heart racing. "ELLIOT!"

"Goodbye, Liv," the person said and the line went dead.

"SHIT!" she yelled, slamming her hand down on the table. "Did you get the location?"

The man sighed. "We could only zero in on Manhattan."

"So, basically… not much help." Benson sighed as well.

Munch put his arm around her shoulder. "Let's get back to the station and fill Cragen in. We need to start on this right away. Don't worry, Liv. We'll find him."

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**I hope the chapter hooked some people to the story. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Law and Order: SVU. I just want to write stuff about the show.

**Author's Note:** Hello! Thanks for the reviews. I'm slowly trying to write this, mainly because I want it perfect and it's annoying when I can't get it the way I want it to be. The upcoming character in this chapter is completely fictional and just for purposes of the story. Uhm... yeah, I think that's it. Enjoy!

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Back at the station, everyone sat grimly as they awaited their orders from Cragen. He was on the phone in his office, his voice rising every so often. No one wanted to proceed until they were sure of a way to find their missing detective.

Olivia was seated near one of the windows, staring out at the city that she called home. Someone was trying to hurt her, but who? And why did they have to take Elliot? Sure, he had a short temper and could be a pain to work with, but he was a good man, a man she trusted her life with and so much more.

"Liv?"

She looked up tiredly, seeing Munch standing with a fresh cup of coffee. "Thanks," she muttered. "I appreciate it."

He nodded and took a seat next to her. "We're going to find him, Liv."

"Oh, I know that," she said with determination. "I just wish I understood the freak's logic behind this. I wish they would have taken me and left Elliot alone. What did he ever do?" A small smirk came through to her lips at her own question. Elliot had pissed off many suspects and criminals over the years; it was a pretty stupid question to ask.

"I was thinking," Munch began, walking over toward where they had begun to set up base, "that this person knows you. Either that, or they've been stalking you."

"Why?" Benson stared at the wall before her, looking into the eyes of her partner for over ten years. He was somewhere in the city, possibly injured—possibly _dead_—and it was all her fault. No pressure or anything. "What makes you say that?" she clarified.

"The note," he explained, tapping it with his hand. "Whoever wrote it didn't call you Detective Benson, or Olivia. They called you Liv." The older detective walked over to the other side of the base and looked at the borough of Manhattan.

Olivia went to respond just as Cragen stepped out of his office and into the main lobby. "Okay, listen up. I want to go about this as quietly as possible. No media whatsoever. If they get a hold of it, it's bound to get ugly. Let's start canvassing the area near Elliot's house. Fin and Munch, start talking to neighbors and see if anyone noticed anything strange over the past few days. Liv, why don't you see if you can find yourself a hotel for tonight?"

"Why?" she demanded, setting her coffee down on the table to her right. "Captain, I—"

"I'm not taking you off the case," Cragen spoke carefully. "I however want you safe and until we're sure this person isn't coming after you too, your apartment isn't. Is that clear?"

She narrowed her eyes, but nodded. She wasn't about to fight with her boss and get herself taken off the case she cared about. "I'm going to start looking into what kind of voice modifier the caller used this morning. Maybe if I can trace it back, we can lift the alter to the voice and at least get a true ID to whoever called did this."

"Get on it," Cragen agreed. "And someone call the lab to see if they got a hit on any of the prints at Stabler's house. Maybe the person left something behind we didn't see."

"On it, Captain," Fin said, calling the lab as they grabbed their coats. "We'll stop on the way there."

Morning turned into afternoon as SVU continued its search for Detective Stabler. Olivia had found the brand of the voice modifier used, but found the technicians who could lift it were still at her partner's house, searching it for bugs and other things.

She was seated at her desk, staring at paperwork before her, old case files of convicted rapists and murderers, wondering if one of them was behind this. The words seemed smudged to her brain, unreadable and uninteresting. All she could think about was how it was her fault. Olivia shook her head and stared back down at the papers. The only way she was going to find her partner was if she focused. So far, she had found three profiles that had held resentment over herself in the past few years. She was quick to punch them into the database and found that two were still in prison upstate, and the other one, much to her surprise, was already out on parole in the city.

Nicholas Henry, a twenty-seven year-old rapist from Brooklyn. She and Elliot had put him away in 2005 after a long, heated trial that had taken a lot out of her. She really hated Henry, more than most rapists and she couldn't figure out why. Like others she had seen, he showed no remorse for his actions, almost proud even. His falsely trusting and good-looking features had nearly let him get away with the crimes and led the two on a chase for the wrong suspect. It was very rewarding to see him go to jail, even if he was out on parole now. He was one of the scumbags of New York.

"Captain," she called out a few minutes later, after printing out the details of Henry's parole and current residence. "Take a ride me with me. I want to see if someone is home."

Don Cragen could tell by the look on Olivia's face that she had found a lead. Quickly, she briefed him and jogged his memory of Nicholas Henry.

"That bastard is out of prison already?" Cragen spat. "I don't believe it."

"Believe it," Benson mumbled. "I can believe he'd do something like that to get me back. The way I questioned him back then nearly got me thrown through the glass window, remember?"

He smirked. "Of course."

She thought back to that day. It was nearly impossible to get under Henry's skin. He was so smug about his actions, gleaming as she told him he was going to jail for a very long time. She remembered telling him after hearing a deal which shaved years off his sentence (not by her choice) that when he struck again once out of prison, she'd be there to catch him. If only she knew that day would come so soon.

"Let's see what that prick is up to these days," Liv growled happily. "I'm sure he'll be ecstatic to see me after all these years." And then, she added on in her head, _and so help me God, if he has Elliot…_

It seemed that Henry had found himself a decent apartment by looks. Olivia stared at the brown apartment building, double checking the address. Could it be possible that a man like him could live there? Apparently, he could.

Cragen slammed the car door, taking the first steps toward the building. Slowly, they made their way up the stairs to the fifth floor, stopping in front of apartment 5E. Benson looked at her Captain for confirmation and then banged on the door several times.

"Who's there?" that sly voice asked.

"Police, Henry," Benson barked. "Open up."

The door cracked several times and then opened just a bit. "What do you want?" he sneered. She tipped her head to the side, waiting for recognition to grace that innocent looking face. When it did, she was pleased. "Oh, wait, it's the bitch… I don't have to speak to you."

"You will speak to me," Cragen said, flashing his badge and authority. "Can we come in?"

"Fuck you," Henry said, going to close the door. "I'm free now. You can't arrest me for anything."

"Should we be arresting you?" Benson asked simply. "I never mentioned anything about an arrest. Did you, Boss?"

"Nope."

Henry's eyes flashed nervously at the two. "Well-well, what did you expect me to think? You're police showing up at my door! What do you want then?"

"We're investigating a crime and you're name came up," Cragen told him, stepping forward. "Now, can we step inside?"

"No," he replied forcefully. "I don't have to let you in."

"If you've got nothing to hide, we can clear this up right now, Henry."

He narrowed his eyes at the police and then slowly opened the door. Olivia stepped inside, followed by Cragen, slowly gazing around the apartment. Other than the fact that it was a mess, she spotted no signs of her partner or anything incriminating at all.

"Now what do you want?" Henry declared, rubbing his arms together. "I got shit to do."

"Where were you from seven to nine this morning?"

"Working," he answered.

Benson smirked. "Where?"

"A car shop a few blocks away. Jake's Body Shop. My shift started at seven and ended at three. You can ask my boss; I never left." Much to her disappointment, she had a feeling he wasn't hiding anything.

She glanced at Cragen, who simply shrugged. "Thanks, Henry," she said coolly. "We'll be in touch if you're needed."

"Fuck you, bitch."

Any other time, she would have come back with a remark of her own, but she suddenly found herself exhausted. If Henry had nothing to do with Elliot's disappearance, who did? They stepped out of the filthy department, barely nearing the steps before her phone went off.

"Benson," she spoke, listening for a moment. Then, she nodded and hung up. "That was Fin. He's got something for us back at the station."

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**Okay, so what do you think? Is Henry anyway involved? I'm pretty sure the identity of who did do it will be revealed in the next chapter. Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Law and Order: SVU. I just want to write stuff about the show.

**Author's Note:** Hi again! I apologize for the length between chapters. I am busy a lot. I go to school and work - so... yeah. But I try to update as much as I can. I promise you all that. I really appreciate anyone who reads. Other than that, I thank those who reviewed a ton, they all put smiles onto my face. Can you guess who the kidnapper is? You should be able to by the end of the chapter. Or at least have a good idea. Enjoy!

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Fin was staring down at a paper when Benson and Cragen got back to the station. He looked up when the two came toward him, looks of intent and worry on their faces. As the time went on, the hope of finding their fellow friend and co-worker hurt and even alive was slowly diminishing. The idea of finding the body of detective Elliot Stabler dead sickened Olivia.

"What's up, Fin?" she asked tensely, peeking over his shoulder to see the unreadable handwriting of his.

Fin smiled briefly and held up the paper. "We just got a call from a supermarket a few blocks from Stabler's house. They might have something for us."

"And it's not a waste of our time?" Cragen asked with just as much tension.

"I don't think so, Captain." He looked at Benson. "Do you want me to ride along?"

She looked at Cragen who nodded and then grabbed her keys, not wasting any time. If someone had any idea where her partner was, she was going to be there as soon as she could. "Let's go." She smiled slightly, no trace of happiness on her face.

A few minutes later, they were pulling up in front of the One-Stop Shop, a small food store only a walking distance from the home of Elliot Stabler. The store did not appear busy, and the employees inside were chatting when they walked in. There was a girl, definitely under the age of twenty, and a boy who looked slightly older than that.

Fin showed his badge to the boy and nodded. "Are you the kid who called the precinct?"

The boy nodded back at him, stepping from behind the register. He dropped a piece of paper he was holding, which the girl quickly picked up and smiled at. Olivia remained quiet as he walked over, watching the attractive looking boy stop in front of her co-worker.

"I'm him," he said in a mellow voice. "I called in the tip."

"Okay, what's up? You mentioned something about seeing the detective here."

He nodded. "Well," he said, nodding toward the wide-eyed girl. "She and I were watching the news right before he came in. I found it kind of strange, actually. The guy he was with seemed worried about something and just yelling at your guy. So, I told Addie over there to follow them around. Something seemed off and then I remembered the picture."

Olivia slowly nodded her head. "Was our guy saying anything? Was there anything he did that was memorable?"

"Definitely," the cashier nodded. "He looked furious."

She had to bite her lip to keep from smiling; that was her Elliot. "And what happened next?"

"Well, we watched them for a while and finally they came up to the register with a few things. Some rope, a few things of chips and a case of beer. The other guy went back to get something a few feet away and your guy whispered to call Manhattan SVU."

"That's it?"

"Yeah," the cashier spoke. "I figured, after I saw the picture and he said something, I should. But we waited for them to leave… because it didn't seem safe. Our boss is in the back pulling things to stock shelves and even though the other guy was pretty small, I didn't know if he had a weapon, you know?"

"You made the right choice," Olivia forced herself to day, even if she didn't believe so. She wished that the cashier would have stopped the kidnapper and gotten her partner back, but she understood the need to protect yourself first. "Do you think you could describe the man to a sketch artist?"

"Oh, sure. I had a good look at him."

"Me too," the girl spoke up.

Fin nodded. "Alright, thanks. Just let us check a few things and we'll be right back."

Benson took this as a sign to meet Fin in a small corner of the store. He looked slightly annoyed as he lowered his voice, seeing as the cashiers were watching them. "I don't know why Stabler wouldn't make a run for it if this guy left him alone for even a second," Fin whispered. "He must have been threatened with something, Liv."

"Like his family," she realized.

The other detective didn't answer for a moment as he was thinking otherwise. "Yeah," he finally said. "Probably. Let's just get the male down to the station and get him working on a sketch. The faster we get a good look of this guy, the faster we can find Stabler."

She nodded and began to walk back toward the cashiers. One step closer to finding her partner.

-

About a half hour later, Olivia was searching through any clues that came from the crime scene, which held little to no significance. Whoever took Elliot was nearly spotless – there weren't any foreign fingerprints or even a trace of human blood other than Kathy's.

Kathy Stabler had woken up about twenty minutes previous at the hospital and Munch was on his way down there.

She wanted to go with him, but found it more important to try to find anything she might have missed either. She had continuously searched her brain for something simple she might have missed. Anything. What was she missing?

Suddenly, two things hit her at once. The note and the perfect crime scene.

_"Whoever wrote it didn't call you Detective Benson, or Olivia. They called you Liv."_ They had thought that the person had known Olivia and she had looked into past suspects and felons, even to look up someone who hadn't thought about them in years, it seemed.

The perfect crime scene.

It was all falling into place. Slowly, but surely.

"Liv, you gotta come see this!" Fin yelled from where the sketch artist was working with the cashier. But she had something to tell Fin. She knew exactly who had taken Elliot.

-

Detective John Munch slowly maneuvered through the hospital corridor, his head low, trying to remain credulous. He was supposed to question Elliot's injured wife about what had happened that morning. He stepped into her room to see her staring at the ceiling, a thin line of tears in her eyes.

She gasped when she saw one of her husband's co-workers standing there. "Detective Munch," she whispered. "Hi."

"You know you can call me John," he said back with a warm smile. Before she could ask, he added, "Liv wanted to come, but she had new evidence to look over. So you're stuck with me. Can you tell me what happened this morning?"

Kathy Stabler rubbed what looked to be a bruise on her wrist. Her head was covered in a strong hold of gauze. "I'm not exactly sure," she started quietly. "I was trying to get the kids ready for school. Dickie was being a pain in the ass, something about a headache. Teenagers, you know? So, I got in the car with them and drove them there. When I got back, the door was open ajar, which I found strange. It immediately sent chills up my spine. I was about to call Elliot when someone shoved me into the wall, pinning me there. I tried to speak, but the person had a hand around my neck, the other on my wrist." She displayed her injury.

"Then, they took me by the neck and threw me onto the floor. I don't know what they hit me with, but that was the last thing I remember, being thrown on the floor. I screamed that Elliot would kill them, but the person just chuckled. I never heard anything else from them."

Munch nodded. Whoever this was definitely had their idea down. They had left little evidence to start with. "Did you ever hear Elliot?"

"No," she whispered. "Please tell me you've found him! _Please_."

"We're looking every lead, Kathy. We will." He walked over and took a seat next to her. "I promise you that. I don't think Liv is going to sleep until she finds him."

Kathy smiled. "I must speak with her soon…"

There was a brief pause.

"What about the kids?"

Munch smiled. "They're being sent to their Aunts in Jersey. Don't worry."

-

Olivia came into the room just as Fin held up a sketched picture. Although she had been thinking about this person as the kidnapper, the image sent chills up her spine. "It's him," she whispered. "He's got Stabler."

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**Let me know who you think it is. Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Law and Order: SVU. I just want to write stuff about the show.

**Author's Note:** Hello. I suck at updating, I know. But I do finally have an update and I must say, this is a pretty action packed chapter. The end is a bit crowded in terms of action, but I think it still works pretty well. Oh, and once more, thank you for the reviews. You'll find out if the person you guys predicted is who took Elliot in this chapter. Someone was right, and I'll leave it at that. Hehe. Enjoy!

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Fin took the picture down from view and put it gently on the table. The cashier from the food store looked anxiously at the two shocked detectives, obviously having no idea the level of trouble they were in. Both of these detectives knew the capabilities this person had, seeing as they had tried to take the life of Elliot Stabler before. Seeing as he was now alone with his captor, who said this person wouldn't finish the job before they could figure out his whereabouts?

Not to mention, this person had also claimed the life of another wonderful member of the SVU team. This person, though they came off as harmless, was vicious and evil, and as small as Benson remembered, definitely dangerous.

"How did he escape from Rikers?" Benson muttered, running her hands through her hair. "I don't understand. Why weren't we notified? They should have known the second he escaped he'd come after us. Oh God. We've got to find him and soon, Fin!"

"Liv," Fin also muttered, coming closer to her. "Relax. Think for a minute. He hasn't touched him yet. He brought him into public. Try to relax. If you can't think clearly, there is no way we're going to find him."

"Right, right," she sighed, setting her fingers down on the edge of the desk. "I've got to keep myself together. I've got to keep myself together."

The other detective sighed, his head also swirling. While Stabler wasn't his favorite person, he knew how hard Elliot's kidnapping was affecting Benson. They were the best of friends, and he didn't think that she could survive without him. But seeing her so uncollected was worrisome; she was always the one to remain calm.

"I'm going to call Rikers," he whispered. "Why don't you get a ride for our witness and grab a glass of water."

She nodded. It would probably be good to keep herself busy after all. Olivia was the type to always have something to do. She wasn't a lazy person, especially since her job trained her to always be on her toes. Sitting around would not help the already her already terrified mind.

Minutes later, the witness on his way home, and Fin waiting to be off hold, Benson was back in front of the evidence. Now that she knew who the captor was, she wanted to rip his throat out and hurt him in any way possible. The memories she had of him were not pleasant. She could remember the vile feeing she had, slipping her lips over his, feeling his trembling body near hers. He actually believed she liked him.

And at first, she felt sorry for him. He wanted to succeed in the NYPD but one case got to him. However, when he went after her partner, all feelings of sorrow were replaced with determination. She'd do anything to keep Stabler alive. Even kissing someone as disgusting as Dale Stuckey.

Now he was trying to get his revenge. And as a man who knew all too well about crime scenes, and the evidence that often convicted felons, he was going to be almost impossible to find. He may have made one slip up, bringing Elliot into public, but would it be enough?

Olivia was determined to find her partner. He would not win.

She was startled from her thoughts as Fin came up beside of her. "Rikers told me he escaped early last night. He must have stalked Elliot when he came home and waited for the perfect moment to strike this morning. I say we go back to Elliot's house and look around outside. Stuckey isn't as smart as he believes himself to be."

She rubbed her eyes as he spoke. Could they really have missed something? Was this even possible?

"Okay," she said wearily. "Let's go."

Elliot Stabler's house seemed dark and unwelcoming as the two detectives pulled up in front. The yellow crime scene tape seemed to taunt Olivia as she stepped from the car, one hand slipping to her gun without meaning to. The cool metal made her shiver.

"Check by all windows," Fin instructed her. "I think he's the type to wait there. And I'll check the bushes."

She went to work near each window Stuckey would have had access to. After finding nothing in the first three, she stopped before the fourth window where she saw unsettled ground. There was a footprint embedded in what looked to be mud, the shoe size around what could be considered normal.

She slipped on a pair of gloves as she felt around in the dirt, her hopes fading with each second. Suddenly, her fingers brushed what looked to be a once white piece of paper.

Because it had spent time in the mud, the writing on it was hard to decipher, but it seemed to be a receipt of some type.

"Fin!" she called loudly, hoping her voice would carry. "Come check this out!"

When he didn't answer her call, she got up and walked around to the front of her partner's house. Fin wasn't anywhere to be seen. Nervously, she looked toward the car. The side door was opened, two feet sticking out.

"Fin," she breathed, breaking into a sprint. She rushed to the car, maneuvering around various trees and whatnot. When she got there, she saw that her fellow detective was facedown on the seat. Quickly, she turned him face up and saw the following written on his forehead in permanent marker:

**I'M WATCHING YOU.**

There was a piece of paper also stuck in between Fin's jacket pocket. She grabbed it and then placed her hand on his neck. He had a pulse, thank God. Olivia wondered if Stuckey had knocked him out with something. She didn't want to take any chances though and quickly pushed the rest of the large detective's body in the car. She ran around to the opposite side, taking the keys and shoving them in the ignition. Just as she went to turn the key, a familiar smell came into her nose.

Immediately, she fled from the car and rushed around the opposite side. When she found the car doors had locked themselves, a new wave of panic set through her. How had he done this in minutes?

Quickly, she smashed the window and pulled the lock open with force. The smell of gasoline grew stronger, a popping sound becoming louder. And just as she pulled the unconscious body of Fin from the vehicle, the car exploded, sending them both flying onto the property of Elliot Stabler.

It was surprising, but when the smoke cleared, Benson found she was not knocked unconscious by the blast. In her hands, the note she had found in Fin's pocket still remained.

It said:

_Don't underestimate me, Liv. I've got the power to take away all that you love. Or, who that you love. Someone very close to you. Remember your partner, Elliot Stabler. Oh, what a shame it would be to see his name on the front cover of the papers tomorrow. One of the NYPD's finest killed by one of his own. What a shame. Be careful on your next step, Liv. It may just be your last._

For some reason, Stuckey's note made Olivia furious. She rubbed her aching head and stood up. If he thought he was going to imitate her with notes, he was sadly mistaken.

Suddenly, she was being rushed by neighbors who saw the explosion and the sirens were becoming louder. Help was on the way for her friend. But now, she was determined. She was determined to stop him before he hurt another one of her friends. He thought he was so powerful because he knew his way around the NYPD's game. She knew he was wrong.

Then, she remembered the mud covered receipt. Surprisingly, it was in her pocket. The letters still made little sense to her, but she was going to find out what was on that piece of paper. She was going to track Dale Stuckey down. And then, she was going to bring her best friend and partner home.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Note:** I know I haven't updated this in a while. Sorry. Thank you for the reviews though. And let me say that I loved this week's SVU. It was really good. All of them for the past month or so have been good. The next chapter isn't exciting, but the next one will have more in it. Enjoy!

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After Fin was brought to the hospital, Olivia returned to the precinct about a half hour later to a very furious Don Cragen. "What in hell happened there?" he roared as she stepped inside, being bombarded by him and Fin's partner, Munch. They both had on angered expressions, but beneath the anger was worry.

"Fin is going to be fine," she started calmly. "He was just knocked out. Probably a mild concussion. The EMT said he was coming around when they put him on the bus."

"You didn't answer my question, detective," Cragen answered.

Benson ran a hand through her hair, settling herself on the edge of her desk. "Stuckey is watching us. He must have followed Fin and to El's house. I left Fin to go search by the windows, found evidence but when I called for him to come, he didn't answer. I turned just in time to see him face down in the car, and the rest… well… obvious answers."

Cragen put his head in his hands and walked toward his office. "Benson, Munch, my office," he said harshly.

She followed, eyeing a disapproved Munch. They stopped as Cragen closed the door behind them and took a seat at his desk. "Munch, I want you to get to the hospital and talk to Fin. Find out if he remembers anything before the attack, and if he does… you know the routine. Benson… I want you off the case. I have reason to believe that Stuckey is trying to hurt you in anyway possible and he won't stop until his sick game is through."

"Captain…"

"No, Olivia," he snapped. "I don't want you to fight me on this. Not only is your life being put in danger, but you put civilians in danger by stepping back onto the streets. Who knows who he'll target next? He has targeted many innocent people in the past."

Benson rubbed her eyes. "Capt… you can't take me off this case. Elliot is my partner and I want to be part of bringing him home safely."

"And I don't want to lose anymore manpower!" Cragen repeated. "So either you obey my orders, or…"

She put her hand up. "Alright, alright. What do you want me to do… book work? Look over files?"

"Right now, I want to make sure Stuckey can't get anywhere near you. We'll set up a hotel room for you in the city, and we'll monitor anything that comes into the precinct. I don't want anything coming near anyone until it's been screened by me first. Stuckey is sick and I don't know where he is going to stop. Do you understand?"

The detective nodded and stepped from the Captain's office. She quickly walked to her desk and put her head in her hands much like Cragen had minutes before. She always followed the orders that he gave, but there was an aching in her chest that made her want to disobey her Captain and find her partner. It was extremely hard for her to ignore that ache and stare at the paperwork he had dropped in front of her. It was going to be a long night.

"Oh, partner," Munch said smugly as he walked into Fin's hospital room, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "You let a little rat knock you out, huh?"

The less than happy Fin glared tiredly back at him. "I'm assuming Capt sent you to get my statement?"

"You bet."

"I don't remember much," Fin muttered. "Footsteps, and before I even saw the face, someone had knocked me out. Next thing I remember is Liv yelling at some EMT."

"Not surprising," Munch joked. "So, you didn't see if it was Stuckey?"

"No," Fin agreed. "But I can bet it was. Whoever came at me was much shorter…"

Olivia looked down at the papers on her desk and couldn't read a word. She slammed her hands down on the desk and looked up. She couldn't do this. She couldn't sit down and pretend that she was fine with paperwork while her best friend and partner was possibly hurt.

She looked at Cragen's office. He seemed to be on the phone with someone. Quickly, she got up and grabbed some money, pretending as if she was going to get some food. She bit down on her lip as Munch walked past her, his eyes narrowed. He knew she wasn't going to get food, but knew trying to stop her wasn't going to help.

"Liv," he muttered. "Listen to Cragen for once."

She shook her head. "If it was Fin that was missing, you'd be doing this too."

Munch looked away. "Go. And if Cragen asks, I never saw you."

She hugged her long time friend. "Thanks, Munch."

"Call me if anything happens," he demanded. "We don't need someone else hurt."

"I will."

Olivia grabbed the receipt she found earlier and began to walk from the precinct. She took her car back to the food store that Fin and her were at earlier, hoping that someone would be able to give her an answer about the paper. She believed it was their receipt.

She was relieved to see the same girl from earlier was still working and the girl smiled at her when she walked up. "Hi, I'm Detective Benson. We talked earlier, right?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay," Benson said, nodding. "I need to ask you a few more questions. Is it possible I can see what one of your receipts looks like?"

The girl looked down and pulled one that had fallen off the floor up and handed it to her. She looked at it for a moment, pulling on the paper, trying to see if she rubbed the words off if it looked like the old receipt. When she couldn't tell, she looked at the girl for help.

"I know it's really old, but can you tell me if this receipt is from your store?"

The girl took the paper and stared at it. "I think it is."

"Okay," Olivia said. "I need you to think really hard right now. Do you remember the man you saw earlier ever come in here before?"

She shrugged. "I have a lot of customers."

Olivia took a deep breath. "Is there someone who works the morning shift that I can talk with?"

The girl looked around and pulled a piece of paper down from a wall. She looked at it and then smiled. "It was Carol here this morning. I can have my boss get her number for you. She usually works the morning shift. If she saw the guy, she'd remember."

"Thank you."

While Olivia waited for the girl's boss, she looked around the store. She wished there was a way to tell where Stuckey had Elliot but knew that everything was going to be hard. They didn't have much to go on except for the receipt and the note that was with Fin earlier. But after she found it had no prints on it, it left only the receipt, which only said that Stuckey had been in the store more than once.

"Here is the number you were looking for, detective," the boss said. "I also put her address there too. If you can't reach her, she should be home."

Olivia thanked the boss and walked from the store, getting into her car. She saw her phone was lit up and opened it. There was a message from Cragen. "I don't know where the hell you are, Liv, but get back to the precinct." He seemed angry and she knew she was in trouble with him, but she didn't care. Like Munch knew, if it was his partner, he wouldn't be sitting around either.

She called the number she was given and when no one answered, she looked at the address. It looked as if she would be talking to Carol in person. Olivia could only hope that she had seen him before and could tell her something that would lead her toward her partner. She thought about Elliot and smiled for a moment. She knew he was probably fighting every chance he got. Olivia laughed. She missed him.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone. Thanks for the reviews. And I should have mentioned this, the story will have some EO romance. This chapter is good. Enjoy!

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Olivia drove for a while and couldn't find the address that she was given. Her emotions weren't helping, as Cragen had called her a few times since she got into the car and she knew she was in trouble. She was still determined to find Elliot though. And even though she knew Cragen and everyone else in the precinct wanted to find him too, she needed to find him. He was her partner, her best friend, and she loved him. If anything happened to him, she wouldn't know what to do. They had spent 12 years together as partners and shared more than some friends ever did.

Her phone ringing made her look at it. When she saw it wasn't Cragen, she was surprised. "Detective Benson," she said.

"Olivia," a voice said. "How are you?"

She felt her heart jump at the voice and her hand tightened on the phone. "Where is my partner?" she whispered.

"Liv, is that anyway to talk with an old friend of yours? Relax. I want to know how you are."

She closed her eyes and knew if she didn't answer his questions, she would never get him to tell her where Elliot was. "I'm annoyed," she said. "I want to know where my partner is, Stuckey. I told you how I am. Where is Elliot?"

"Are you not going to be polite and ask me how I am?" Stuckey asked. "That's not very nice."

"How are you?" Her eyes opened and she wondered how he knew to call her and how he got her number. If she was at the station, someone could have traced the number. She felt like an idiot as he laughed. Olivia should have listened to Cragen and maybe they could have found Elliot.

"I'm great," Stuckey said. "Thank you."

"Let me talk to Elliot," she whispered. "Please."

He laughed again and there were noises on the other line. Then, there was a crash and she could hear breathing. "Here," he said. "Talk to her."

"Elliot?" she whispered.

She heard his muffled replied. Stuckey had something over his mouth. She bit down on her lip and resisted threatening to kill the man who had her partner.

"Elliot," she said. "I'm going to find you. Are you hurt?"

There was another crash and she heard Stuckey's voice. "He will be soon. I'm giving you a few more hours before I make sure you never see your partner again. You all think you're the best cops there are around here."

"We are," Olivia said, stopping him before he could continue. "And if you think you're going to get away with trying to murder a cop, you're fucking wrong, Stuckey."

"I'm sick of you people thinking you are the best there is. But you're not all that great. You walk around as if you can solve any case and help anyone. This time, it's not going to happen. I told you, Liv. You better watch where you step, Liv. I meant it; it could be your last. Are you willing to die to save your partner?"

She felt her heart jump and she wished Elliot could hear her. "Yes."

He laughed at this. "Be careful, Liv."

Before she could say anything else, the line went dead and she was staring at her phone, even angrier than before. Then, before she could do anything else, she started her car and began to drive back to the precinct.

Cragen looked ready to kill her when she walked into the room. He pointed to his office and she followed him inside, knowing this wasn't going to be fun. He sat down at his desk and stared at her, as if he didn't know what to say to his detective. "Detective," he finally said. "Over the past twelve years I have had the pleasure to work with you. I consider you like a daughter to me and you're one of the best cops I've ever met. When I told you to stay here, I meant it."

"Captain," she started, but he shook his head.

"I'm not done talking to you," he answered. "I know how much Elliot means to you. He means a lot to everyone here. And if you don't think we're trying to find him just as much as you are, you're wrong. We have everyone on his case. We've made sure every lead we've gotten has been looked at."

Before he could continue, Olivia cut him off. "Stuckey called me before."

"What?"

"I was in the car following a lead I got back at that store. I was trying to figure out where the address I had was when my phone rang. I thought it was you but when I answered, it was him."

"What did he say?"

"He asked me if I was willing to die to save my partner," she explained. "I told him I was."

"Did you talk to Elliot?"

She shrugged and looked at Cragen. "He had something on his mouth. But he was okay."

"What else did Stuckey say?"

"He said that Elliot would be okay for the next few hours but then I would never see him again. I was following a lead before I came back here, Captain. I don't care if Stuckey is watching me and whether you like it or not, I am going to find that address and see what the witness can tell me. If Stuckey is watching me, he's going to lead me back to him somehow. Someone is going to see him and when they do, I'm getting my partner."

Cragen sighed. "Detective."

"I'm sorry, Captain." She stood up and walked from the room.

Munch was standing there and he looked her in the eye. "Be careful," he told her, touching her arm. "Please."

She nodded. "I will."

Olivia found Carol's house about thirty minutes later. She walked up to the door and knocked, smiling at the small blonde woman who answered the door. "I'm Detective Benson and I work for the Manhattan SVU," she explained. "Are you Carol Owens?"

Carol nodded. "I am."

"Your boss gave me your address," she continued. "You work at the food store about thirty minutes from here, right?"

She nodded again. "What is this about?"

"Can I come inside?"

Carol let her in and they sat down. She explained quickly what had happened and talked about how she needed her help. "One of your co-workers told me you usually work the morning shift at your job. I'm sure it's slower there in the morning, so I imagine you remember costumers."

"Yeah," Carol agreed. "I do."

She pulled a picture of Stuckey from her pocket and showed her. "This is the man who we believe has the missing detective. We know he has been in your store today. Your co-workers said this. He might have come in there earlier though."

She was quiet for a moment and then she nodded, her eyes showing fear. "He was weird. We had only opened a few minutes before and he walked in, his eyes dark and he just looked scary. He got a few things and then came up to the register. It was mainly food and a few other things. Batteries and gasoline. Oh God, if I would have known what he was buying it for, I would have never let him!"

"It's okay that you did," Benson assured her. "He could have hurt you if you didn't. What happened next?"

"He didn't even talk to me. He just threw me the money he needed to pay for it and then walked outside." Her eyes lit up. "He got into a white car. It looked new except for a dent in the side of it, but not from an accident."

"The car," Benson reminded her. "Did you see a license plate?"

Carol thought for a moment. "I was watching him before he was strange. I remember seeing the last number was a six. The first letter could have been C."

"Is there anything else you remember?" she asked. "Anything that you remember."

"He smelled strange too," she told her. "And there was blood on his arm."

Olivia thanked Carol and then left, driving back to the precinct. She nearly threw what she wrote down at Munch when she got inside, giving him a smile. "Look up all stolen cars that are white and have a last number of six in their license plate. I think Stuckey stole a car."

Munch nodded. "I'll look now."

She ran into Cragen's office without stopping and also showed him what she had gotten from Carol. He smiled at her. "If Munch finds anything on the car, we can start something with that. When was the phone call from earlier?"

"About an hour ago," she answered. "Why?"

"Stuckey said we had a few hours." Cragen looked at her. "I'm saying we had about three hours. That doesn't leave much time."

"We have a car!" Munch yelled.

Benson ran from the room and nearly fell on Munch. He was on the phone with the person who reported the car stolen.

When he hung up, he smiled. "It was reported stolen this morning from a Michael Key. He left the keys in the car and went back in his house to get his coffee. It was gone when he came back. He says there was a dent in the door from when his neighbor's kid hit it on accident. I think it's our car."

She smiled. "Great."

"It gets better," Munch continued. "The car has GPS in it. Key said he could call to have it turned on and we can find where the car is, even if it's off. Unless Stuckey knew it had GPS, we can find them."

"How long?" she asked.

Munch looked at her. "A few minutes."

She smiled.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone. Thanks for the reviews. We're near the end of the story. There will be a few more chapters. Enjoy!

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A few minutes seemed like forever as Olivia waited for the GPS to locate the stolen car. She was so close to finding Elliot and she couldn't wait to put Stuckey back in jail.

Munch was staring at the computer screen, his eyes focused on seeing the GPS come up. She walked up beside of him and also stared at the screen. "Come on," she muttered.

Olivia's eyes lit up when an address popped on the screen. She quickly wrote it down and looked at Munch with a smile. Then, she ran into Cragen's office and explained they had a lead to follow, possibly that was going to lead them to Stuckey. Cragen quickly got other officers to follow them and they were off to the address.

It was near where Elliot lived, Olivia realized, also not too far from where the store was. She realized that was why he was able to watch her. She felt like an idiot as Munch drove.

"Relax, Liv," Munch said.

She rolled her eyes.

They pulled up in front of what seemed to be a store that hadn't been open in months. Munch and Olivia put their hands on their guns and stepped from the car, careful to watch around them. The white car was parked in front of them and Olivia walked to the side of it. She looked inside, seeing blood on the seats. Her heart ached in her chest and she hoped that wasn't Elliot's blood.

"Liv," Munch whispered. "We have to look inside."

She followed after him, wondering if Stuckey was inside.

"Look," she whispered. "The door isn't locked."

He nodded and carefully opened it. It made a noise as it opened and they held their breath. When it didn't continue, she opened the door all the way and stepped inside. She didn't try to use a light, worried that if she did she would tell Stuckey they were there. Instead, she walked slowly, hoping that they were inside.

She walked with her gun, nodding at Munch when they began to walk in different directions. The store was small and there wasn't much in it. But it seemed there was an apartment upstairs. Munch motioned to another door and she nodded at him. She was going to look upstairs.

"Be careful," she told him.

He smiled at her.

Olivia opened the door that led upstairs and walked up slowly until she was at another door. She placed her hand on the door and before she could open it, there was a loud noise that she recognized as a gun shot. She took a deep breath and wondered if she should go back downstairs.

She opened the door though and felt her heart ache when she saw Elliot tied up in the corner. He had something in his mouth and his eyes were barely open. There seemed to be blood all over him. She ran toward him and gently pulled off what was on his mouth.

"Liv," he whispered. She could tell he had lost a lot of blood.

She shook her head. "It's okay," she whispered. "We're going to get help."

Before she could get her phone, she heard someone behind her. "Move and I'll shoot him," a voice said.

Elliot looked at her and she knew he was worried. She tried to smile at him, but she knew they were in trouble. If Stuckey was behind her, Munch was still downstairs. She knew he had been shot.

"Stuckey, put the gun down," she whispered.

He walked up beside of her and smiled. "No."

"There are other cops on the way," she told him. "You're going back to jail."

"He'll be dead first," Stuckey said. He kicked Elliot. Then, he pulled Olivia up and smiled down at Elliot. "She said she's willing to die to save you."

"I am," Olivia answered.

He laughed. "Why?"

Olivia looked at Elliot and smiled. "Because I love him," she said.

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